Jeweler&#39;s ring-tray.



PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

M. PORTEOK.

JBWELERS RING TRAY.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 4, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

WITHESEE E.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1903.

PATENT ()FFICE.

JTEWELERS RlNG-TRA Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 734;,091, dated July 21, 1903. Application filed November 4!, 1902. Seria1No. 13 0,085. (No model.)

To all whom, it mag concern:-

Be it known that 1, MAX PORTEOK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Jewelers Ring-Trays, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trays for use by jewelers in exhibiting finger-rings, and it relates particularly to that class of ring-trays in which the tray is constructed in such a manner as to prevent a ring from being surreptitiously removed from the tray or exchanged for an inferior ring and at the same time allow of the ready removal by the attendant or salesman ofany desired ring.

The invention consistsof the novel construction and arrangement of parts, all as fully described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of my improved tray with portions of the cushioned or plush-covered bars removed and a part of the rear wall broken out. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation-that is, looking from the side next the attendant 0r salesman-with a portion of the plush broken out. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4:, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings a ing is shown in position in the tray.

a represents the rear wall-that is, the wall next the attendant; a, the front wall a, the end walls, and b the bottom of the tray. Se: cured on the bottom b next the opposite ends a of the tray are the supporting bars or cleats 0, each provided on theinner edge of its upper surface with a step c, said steps constituting supports and slideway's for the opposite ends of a horizontal locking-rack comprising a rectangular frame, preferably of metal, of which e is the front bar, e the rear bar, e" the end bars, 6 the inner longitudinal bars, and g locking-bolts projecting rearwardly and horizontally from the bars c and e'. The whole comprises an integral locking-rack extending substantially the entire length of the tray and supported at its opposite ends by the steps 0. This lockingrack is somewhat narrower than the tray in order to a-llowlateral. movement-that is,

-movement forward and backand to provide space for a spring h, whose central portion is secured to the inner side of the front wall a of the tray and whose ends extend rearward and bear against the front edge of the lockingrack, holding said rack normally agaiust'the rear wall a of the tray. This spring is made sufficiently long to have its bearing ends in contact with the lock-ing- .rack near its extreme ends in order that as said rack is slid on the steps 0' its movement will be exactly parallel with the ends a, so that the rack will not bind or stick.

The rear wallet is provided with a suitable opening 71;, through which a knob or handle m extends horizontally, said knob being rigid or integral with the bar e of the lockingrack. The rear edge of this bar e is recessed for its entire length at one side of the knob to-allow space for a horizontal bolt 19 between it and the wall a, one end of said bolt being adapted to extend into a suitable notch s in the knob m, and the other end being provided with an upward extension 13, Fig. 1, and dotted'lines in Fig. 2. By means of suitable slots p inthe bolt 19 and pins 25, which extend through said slots into the walla, said bolt is held down into position next the bottom b.

t) represents the parallel cushioned or plushcovered bars, which are constructed as usual and in this instance are four in number, the adjacent edges of said bars being directly over the bolts 9 when the rack is in its normal position. A ring to is shown in position with one of the bolts 9 extending through it.

To remove the ring, the attendant or sales-' man presses back the entire locking-rack by means of the knob m, and by releasing said knob the entire rack returns to its original position, locking every ring in the case, so that none can be surreptitiously removed by the customer, who is on the other side of the traythat is, on the side next the part a.

It will be noticed that in this tray there is but one locking-rack for the entire tray, moving laterally and locking every ring by means of a single knob or handle, which is not in sight of the customer.

It might sometimes be the case that a supposed customer would, in case the attendant left the tray for a moment, reach over and press the knob on for the purpose of releasing the rings. In order to prevent this, the attendant, should he be obliged to leave the tray, places his finger on the upper end of the handle 19 of the bolt p and presses said handle toward the knob m, thus pushing the bolt into the slot or notch s and preventing the locking-rack from being pressed forward by the knob m, holding said rack stationary. As the upper end of this handle 19 is small and is practically concealed by the plush or velvet, a thief is not apt to observe it, and the movement of the finger in locking the rack is so slight as not to be particularly noticeable. When the attendant returns, he can easily release the rack by a reverse movement of thehandlep.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a jewelers ring-tray, the tray provided at its opposite ends with the supporting-bars c, and with an opening on its rear wall; the locking-rack extending from one end to the other of the tray, supported by said bars, and comprisinga rectangular frame provided with longitudinal bars 6' and bolts 9; and the spring h secured to the rear portion of the front wall of the tray, extending for substantially the entire length of said tray, andwithitsendsbearingagainstthe front edge of the locking-tray at the extreme opposite ends thereof, whereby said locking-tray is dinal bars e' and bolts 9; a spring located between the front edge of the locking-rack and the front wall of the tray and holding said locking-rack normally against the rear wall; a knob or handle m extending from the rear edge of the locking-rack into the opening in the front wall of the tray, and slotted at s; and the horizontal bolt p located between the rear edge of the locking-rack and the rear wall of the tray and adapted to engage the said knob by means of its slot, said bolt 1) being provided at its outer end with an upward extension p which extends to a point sulficiently near the top of the tray to be accessible to the attendant and enable him to move the bolt horizontally in and out of said slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAX PORTECK.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, A. N. BONNEY. 

